Post Box The Local Hope In Group Three Townsville Cup

In a picturesque town, approximately 28km north of Townsville, resides a greyhound trainer and his Group Three Townsville Cup finalist. Bluewater resident Michael Hickmott has Post Box engaged in box two in the Townsville Cup final on Tuesday night and he is looking to win his second Townsville Cup as a trainer.

Post Box arrived in Hickmott’s kennels back in October 2013 and he hasn’t looked back, winning 12 races for Hickmott around Townsville and Cairns at a range of distances between 380m and 544m. Overall, the dog has won 14 races and had 10 placings from 34 starts. His two wins prior to arriving at Bluewater were at Albion Park.

Hickmott told ARG that he and a friend purchased Post Box from Tony Apap:

“I’ve had the dog about 12 months. A mate and I bought him off Tony Apap; we get all our dogs off him. He is the only one we trust to buy dogs off. You never get a bad kennel dog off Tony. He is a beautiful dog from a great breed. If he wins this race, I will have to keep him as a pet.”

Post Box is by Irish import Fear Zafonic and his dam is You Can Too (Brett Lee – Jeanie’s Queen). Jeanie’s Queen held the track record at Launceston and won at Sandown, Wentworth Park, The Meadows and Albion Park. She also finished third in the Paws of Thunder and second in the Sandown shoot-out, so it’s not hard to see where Post Box has got his talent from.

As for his chances in this year’s Cup final, Hickmott is hoping he can replicate Happy Valentine’s win in 2005, which was the last Townsville Cup that Hickmott won:

“I am really happy with the draw. He is better from the inside as he gets around the corner better. I am happy with the dog inside him because he’s not real quick out and tends to go straight. He has been trialling track records at Townsville and if he gets going he will be a big chance. I haven’t been able to get a race there for him in a long time. I can only hope. I have won the race once before with Happy Valentine. She came through for the win after the good dog I had for the race at the time broke down before the race.”

Post Box is the only local in the final so he’s sure to get plenty of support from the home crowd. After the Townsville Cup, Hickmott plans to take Post Box down to Brisbane for some racing.